LANSING - Grand Ledge has ruled the CAAC Blue for the last couple of years.

And the Comets again are showing that the road to a Blue championship will run through them.

Friday's 27-14 victory over Division 5 No. 3-ranked Sexton was another big statement for Grand Ledge, which has put together impressive back-to-back victories since falling in a tight game to DeWitt in Week 2.

Beating the Big Reds on the road was especially vital for Grand Ledge, considering the two programs have combined to win the last four Blue crowns.

"It was a really big deal," Grand Ledge senior Jacob Umholtz said. "Sexton is a very good football team. We know, to be able to win the conference, we have to go through them first. We took it very seriously, and it was a great game."

STINGY ON DEFENSE

One of the key elements in the Comets' success this fall has been a strong defense. In what has been an early schedule full of challenges, Grand Ledge hasn't allowed more than 14 points in a contest. And the unit did its job against a talented Sexton squad loaded with athletes. Grand Ledge's defense had several big stops Friday, including turning away Sexton in the red zone on the opening series of the game.

"The kids are playing smart," Grand Ledge coach Matt Bird said. "We have about seven kids with 4.0 (grade-point averages) on that defense, so you're able to make adjustments on the fly and that makes a big difference."

BIG REDS STANDOUT

One of the bright spots for the Big Reds on Friday came in Karl Brooks, who has show this fall that he is one of the top players in the Lansing area. Brooks started the contest with a big play in the passing game and made several other big plays throughout the night. That included hauling in a touchdown pass from Jackson Barnes in the fourth quarter with Sexton trying to fight its way back from three scores down.

NEAR MISSES

Brooks was a key target in the passing game, but Sexton just missed on a number of other big plays throughout the night. Barnes started the game with a 60-yard connection with Brooks. But after that, the junior quarterback couldn't connect with receivers when they were able to get behind the Grand Ledge defense.

Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.